Path in Mist: The Apprentice
by Ember Filled Mist
Summary: In the middle of Leaf-bare, two sisters, Eaglekit and Mistkit were found alone in a hollow tree in Storm Clan. The leader, Shiningstar, them as her own but as time passes, and kits become apprentices, and one warrior shows that danger comes in many forms.
1. prologue

Prologue

The night was cold, the air still with tension of a waiting storm. Leaf-bare's hungry cruelty had drained the trees of their luck leaves and left the branches as bare skeletons. The territory of the sleeping clan was nothing but a field of craggy branches reaching to the stars that flittered with warmth a mockery.

As the claw of a moon rose higher towards its peak, yellow clouds rolled over the stars and released their heavy assaults of snow. Slowly it lightened to a drift and the winds whispered gently through the now wet, icicle-coated branches and limbs.

Two figures, cats, came fighting through the white carpeted undergrowth. Both heavy in build and large in size, they silently made their way to a large, hollowed sycamore, obviously the largest around. Both toms carried little bundles of fur in their maws.

The larger of the two, a grey tom, fur slightly green in tone, padded forward, placing his bundle down under the tree.

He looked back to his russet and auburn companion with emotionless eyes, "Watch the kits while I check to see if it is still safe." The other tom nodded, the bundle in his mouth flopping back and forth. Tiny paws batted at the invisible creatures in the kit's sleep.

"Thank you, Bloodstrike." He meowed quickly before entering the gape in the sycamore's smoothly scaled bark.

Several heartbearts passed, the only sounds of the falling snow and the two kits's dreaming shuffles.

The grey tom poked his head out, and picked up the kit he had placed earlier. "It is safe." he meowed through the scruff of fur in his mouth. He turned back into the darkness, the tom known as Bloodstrike following with the other kit in tooth.

When they were both inside, Bloodstrike took notice that the other tom had created a make shift nest for the kits. Both tom-cats placed their burdens down, the bigger ending up sprawled out on her smaller sister.

The grey tom looked at the kits with a shine in his eyes; emotions of pride, pain and decision clashing in his emerald gaze.

"Treefur," Bloodstrike started softly, "We have to go, before the snow stops. Those herbs won't hide our scent forever; neither will they keep the kits sleeping forever."

Treefur sighed, "I know…" he took a breath, "Just… Just let me say goodbye."

"Are you," Bloodstrike began hesitantly, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

There was silence. Treefur kept his eyes on his kits; mind wandering, more heartbeats passed, and precious time leaking away to the night.

"Yes."

Bloodstrike looked to his former mentor, admiration and pity blurring in his yellow eyes.

"This is for the best," he whispered, trying to convince himself as well as the russet tom, "Their lives will be better here. The tribe will never find them. And nor will Bloodstar. They can live here without torment." The grey warrior looked up to his empathetic friend. "Besides," he closed his eyes, "They look too much like _her. _Sparrowwing will take care of them. I know it."

Bloodstrike sighed with a nod at the sad truths.

Treefur leaned his head down and touched his massive muzzle to both she-kits heads. "Good luck, my little warriors, he whispered, "Star Clan blesses you, and may you remember," looked to both of the kits, in order of the names he spoke, "I love you, Eaglekit, Mistkit…"

Dawn kissed the forest territory of Storm Clan, making bare branches shift from the eerie gloom to an orange-dappled cheery mood. The sun leeched through the clouds of the passing storm, bleeding them with a cream and gold spectrum. Where the tom-cats had left paw prints there was nothing dimples, looking like the regular dips and weaves of the brush under the snow.

A patrol of four cats came through the forest, unknowingly crossing the invisible path of precious visitors.

At the head of the group was a small, delicate she-cat. Her ears were a fiery ginger, as were her paws, tail, and bits of her muzzle. Her pelt was cream where her fur was not the color of flame. The she-cat's keen blue eyes watched the surroundings for the signs of unwanted movement. Behind her were two toms and another she-cat. The first tom was a slim, sleek black tom with grey rings on his tail and green eyes. The second was a grey and silver tabby tom with eye so bright, that, they looked silver, although they were really just a light blue. The she-cat bringing up the rear was white with black blotches of fur. Her coat was long and silky, complimenting her vibrant grass green eyes.

They came to a halt at a towering maple that's branches twisted into intricate bends and nooks.

The lead she-cat glanced at her patrol. "Alright," she began, "we should split up here." The cat flicked her ginger ear. "Sparrowwing and I shall go to the sycamore grove along Spirit Clan border. Nightcloud, you and Grassblade go to Sunny Rocks along Ocean Clan territory."

"Are we all clear?"

The cats spoke in unison, "Yes, Shiningstar."

As Shiningstar and Sparrowwing made their way towards the sycamore grove, they listened carefully. The woodlands were silent with the usual leaf-bare chill.

Sparrowwing suddenly stopped, ears perked.

Shiningstar looked at him, "What do you hear?"

Sparrowwing frowned, "I think I hear…" he paused, "Kits."

Shiningstar paused. There was silence then….

"They are scared…" she whispered. "We must hurry." She set to a trot after the noise, Sparrowwing not far behind her.

Mewls led the two of them farther into the grove of sycamores, bringing them closer to the Spirit Clan border. Soon they came to the Great Sycamore, the most gargantuan tree any cat had ever seen. It towered like a guardian, the twisted roots and crooked bushes seemingly protecting the noise that came from inside. Sparrowwing was the first to creep closer to the gaping black mouth in the tree. He slunk forward and poked his head inside. His whole body jumped as a hissing noise erupted from inside.

"Shiningstar!" he gasped as he whirled his white, tensed body around. "You won't believe it. There are _kits_ in there!"

Shiningstar padded forward swiftly through the undergrowth. "Impo….ssible…." she said slowly as she fully entered the den. Before her were two kits, a larger and a smaller one of similar appearances. The only difference was color and size. The larger one was a pale golden color with large, grey paws and a lighter grey tail. Her sister was pale white with grey-blue patches.

They could have been beautiful kits if not due to their terrified faces. The white kit's fierce amber eyes burning confused and protective terror. The she-kit had her puffed up her white and blue-grey fur, set in a position to protect her sibling. She spat at Shiningstar, tiny, needle like-teeth bared at the two cats, Sparrowwing having just entered.

"My Star Clan," the flame-point leader whispered. A glimmer of warmth glowed in her blue eyes. The Storm Clan Leader was a mother herself, three new kits sitting in the nursery at camp, almost old enough to be apprentices.

"Shhh, little ones," Shiningstar meowed softly to the tow she-kits, "We won't hurt you."

The small kit hissed more, "I don't trust you!" she narrowed her large amber eyes, "My Daddy will be back soon. He will come back and, and-"

Shiningstar blinked sympathetically. "There are no strangers in my territory aside from your sister and you. I patrolled it myself."

The kit shook her head desperately, "NO!! Liar!!!" her small voice cracked in rage and sorrow, "LIAR! Dad wouldn't leave us, He-he wouldn't..!! He promised He…" she nearly broke down from the tears streaking down her dirty little face. Her sister padded forward from her position behind the little kit and let her sister collapse into her side, hazel and green eyes watering up as well.

"What is she is right." She mewed softly, "Where do we do now?"

What Shiningstar said next surprised all.

"Live in Storm Clan."

_**

* * *

**_

**There is a wrap!! **

**I know, it is a little dramatic, especially since it is only the prologue, but, you know, their lives before Storm Clan were pretty crappy… Who could blame her??? Ugh, it took me forever to get off my butt and do this… Dang, I can be such a procrastinator at times.**

**I know cats can cry, I have seen my cat do it, but, you know, just not an EMOTIONAL kind of cry….So, screw that part of reality. X3 **

**So, um, this is just the beginning, read and review please, I would like to know what I can do better and stuff, and how I did.**

**The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get my lazy butt up to do it… *UGH I AM RANTING!!! BYE!!* (duck tapes mouth shut)**


	2. Chapter 1

**AND I RETURN! So, um, I forgot to add at the last chapter that copy right to cats of StormClan belongs to the Neopian guild, search up my universal username shroudheart61 and you can scroll down and find it there. Or you can go to ****.com**** and look underneath the visitor section, then underneath the writings section of that. X3 The SOTRY belongs to me, not the warriors, but, the plot that I have written down… Basically this is a retelling of the role play on the guild, except, all in Mistpaw's point of view. Oh, Mistpaw, Bloodstrike, and Treefur are MY characters, I made them, they are MIIIINE. So, yeah… Names and character belong to respective people and groups, enjoy!**

Chapter One

Mistkit stared up into the never-ending depths of the azure sky, sun shining brightly and clouds drifting effortlessly on a spring breeze. She sighed as the wind ruffled her fur pleasantly and made her feel even more cheerful.

Two moons had passed and she found herself upon a day she never thought would come. Her eyes trailed a passing butterfly, watching it's every move. Her white and grey-blue body coiled beneath her, she prepared to launch herself at her chosen prey. The butterfly landed on a flower, innocently resting its wings slowly.

As Mistkit watched it further, she thought better of it. Shiningstar was coming, she could see form the corners of her eyes.

The white and ginger-tipped she-cat padded her way; Mistkit could feel the warmth in her blue eyes.

"Mistkit," she yowled to her, "Mistkit, come here, please."

The kit fully turned her attention to her adopted mother, face slowly sprouting to a full-blown grin, "Yes, Shiningstar?" Mistkit squeaked, padding towards her.

The older she-cat instantly began to fuss over the kit's scruffy fur, slightly brownish due to her playing. Shiningstar set mostly to one tuft of fur that rarely stuck up, but when it did it was like trying to bend a tree trunk. "Oh, that one piece of fur, it is such a pain!" she growled, whining like a kit herself. The kit sighed and let her adopted mother attempt once more for the millionth time that day to tame it.

As the kit was groomed, she knew that the question would come, and so it did. She could feel the answer already bubbling inside of her. "So, are you excited, my scrap? About being an apprentice?"

Shiningstar barely got to finish her question. The kit bobbed her head vigorously up and down accidentally hitting her leader in the chin with the top of her head. "Oh, sorry, Shiningstar!" she meowed as a quick apology before diving back into excitement. "Star Clan, am I!! I will be the fiercest, bravest, strongest, fastest warrior EVER!" She pulled from Shiningstar's grip and crouched. "You are looking at the to-be best hunter, best fighter, and most loyal warrior!" Mistkit puffed out her chest with pride.

Shiningstar purred, "I'm glad to hear it. I hope you show all of the clan just how truly loyal your sister and you are." Her voice was toned to playfulness; she spoke her words between licks as she had recaptured Mistkit again. For a second, Mistkit thought she had heard some sadness in her leader's voice, but shook it off and went deep into thought.

Although it had only been a few moons, things in the forest were still smoothing out. Taking in outsiders, let alone kits from an unknown clan was not the casual every day event around the four clans. The ridiculous suspicions were more then enough to prove. Some where normal, while others went as far as the very small possibility they were not really kits but very small cats. Those were wiped out instantly because they carried no scent from any known clan and barely smelled of cats during their arrival.

Eventually Shiningstar straightened them out and Cloudfeather, the medicine cat, reassured them that they weren't some part or sign of doom and destruction. They satisfied them further by patrolling the Spirit Clan and Ocean Clan borders thoroughly until every cat knew every stone on the territory.

They came up completely blank.

Mistkit shuffled were she sat next to her adopted mother. She hated thinking of their "arrival." _At least we have Bumblepaw, Littlepaw, Frozenpaw and all the others to help us out! At least they are our friends... _she thought to herself.

"There," Shiningstar mewed, "That should do until I come back before the ceremony. _Try _to stay clean, although I know it is hard. And tell Eaglekit the same if Sparrowwing has not, he was grooming her last I checked." The flame point she-cat rose to her delicate paws and padded off.

Mistkit looked after her for a heart beat or two, not bothering to reply. As childish as her adopted mother was, when she said an order, you were expected to obey it. Excluding the bouncy Eaglekit, and sometimes her and the other kits, every cat did. Mistkit turned her head back to the sky; she liked watching passing clouds or butterflies, and when she could, the stars of Silverpelt, especially the stars of Silverpelt.

"Mistkiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Suddenly she was bowled over by a streak of white, gold and black fur.

"Eaglekit!" she squeaked, "If you want something, don't tackle me."

The larger she-kit slid off of her sibling, looking at her with a hazel and green gaze. She kneaded her clunky paws into the early spring grass of the lush camp's clearing. "I know. I just couldn't resist!" Eaglekit jumped into a crouch, her rump high in the air. "You were just so _vulnerable_ and… and… _Tackle-y!!_ Plus I wanna play and you were being boring."

Mistkit grinned and crouched playfully. "I'll show _you_ who's being boring and tackle-y!" She then abruptly rammed into her sister, causing them to roll into a play fight.

Dusk came quickly as Mistkit and Eaglekit romped around all sun-high. Their game, consisting of dares, tackles, and play fights and fighting badgers and all of the menaces they knew, was very fulfilling of their time. Unfortunately, it had also been just and dirty as it was fun.

Mistkit looked at her now brown pelt. _Why is fun always so impossible to get along with being clean? _She thought grumpily. _If Shiningstar or Sparrowwing see us we are in—_

Just as Mistkit was about to convey these thoughts to Eaglekit, a warriors disrupted her thinking.

"Mistkit, Eaglekit!" Sparrowwing had returned from a hunting patrol, the proof of a squirrel hanging in his jaws, Grassblade behind him. He had caught her in a lopsided position because she was going to speak, her jaw hanging open in a goofy manner.

"Look at you two," he grumbled, twitching his black ears in dismay as he padded forward and around the two she-kits. "Shiningstar will feed you two to the rogues if she sees you!" Sparrowwing sighed tiredly. "You kits can be such a worthy hassle…" He dropped his squirrel in the prey pile and stared back at them.

Grassblade blinked at Sparrowwing. "I will help you groom them," she offered, dropping her own fresh kill off, "I've had plenty of practice."

Mistkit watched as the tried seal-point tom thanked her and set away to grooming Eaglekit. She had made a funny attempt to run away but failed miserably, Mistkit just grumpily accepting her fate from Grassblade.

After many long, excruciatingly long, heart beats passed, Mistkit and Eaglekit were positioned by the nursery, now clean and their pelts shining. Mistkit glanced a little excited and grouchy at she and her sister's keepers, Brightsoul, the medicine cat apprentice and Rabbitear, the queen of the nursery.

Mistkit pawed nervously at the young grass beneath her white and grey-blue paws. _Why is it taking so long? _She fretted in her head, _did they cancel our apprenticeship? Is it because we were bad and now we have to wait another moon, two moons?_

Eaglekit nudged her, "Look, there's Shiningstar!" Mistkit watched her sister try not to jump up and start kicking up dust. "We're _finally _going to be apprentices!"

"Yeah, and we'll finally be able to be with Littlepaw and the others again." Mistkit's voice squeaked with excitement. Eaglekit nodded.

Littlepaw was one of their first friends; in fact, she and the other apprentices were practically the only cats in the clan who had truly trusted Eaglekit and herself when they came here. Mistkit hated it when Littlepaw, Frozenpaw, and Cloverpaw became apprentices. Those three were her most trusted friends, and would always be; Mistkit was sure.

Eaglekit nudged Mistkit backed to reality as Shiningstar jumped onto High Rock. She stood tall, the moonlight causing her white and ginger pelt to glow with confidence.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join shall join together under High Rock for a clan meeting."

As the clan gathered under their leader, Shiningstar looked down from her perch upon the tall stones, a twinkle in her blue eyes. Her gaze met almost every cat in StormClan.

"Cats of StormClan," she yowled powerfully, "I gather us here underneath the light of our ancestors for a time-long tradition: making a kit into an apprentice. In this case, we gladly welcome two of our kits onto the path of a warrior.

"Eaglekit," Shiningstar beckoned to Mistkit's sister, causing her to perk from her awed state beside Sparrowwing and Rabbitear. "Mistkit," Shiningstar called. "Join me on the High Rock to receive your apprentice names."

Quickly and awkwardly Mistkit and her sister scrambled up the time-worn rocks, nicked and chinked from claws of cats from previous lifetimes. If Mistkit had had the time, she would have marveled at the fact her paws were touching the same stone that timeless generations had climbed as well. She felt herself give a quiver of excitement.

As she pulled her small white and grey-blue body over the top of the High Rocks, Mistkit turned her ember-colored eyes towards her leader. Only occasionally did they stray to the crowds of her clanmates. Mixed in the numbers of StormClan cats, Mistkit quickly deciphered Littlepaw's creamy pelt and her other group of former, and soon to be once again, denmates.

"Rainstorm," Shiningstar meowed, re-attaining Mistkit's attention, "You are loyal, wise, and patient. I would like you to mentor our _impatient_ Eaglekit." The grey warrior nodded and padded towards Eaglekit's side; leaping the rocks with ease. "Nightcloud," the fire-point leader blinked in the black warrior's general direction. "I feel you are ready for an apprentice. Your bravery, good humor and other good qualities would be assets you pass onto Mistkit." Nightcloud smiled crookedly and walked up the High Rocks, practically, sitting next to Mistkit.

She couldn't help but notice how much sleeker her white pelt seemed (probably due to the merciless attacks by Rabbitear) next to Nightcloud's black and grey.

"From now until they have earned their warrior names, you both shall be known as Eaglepaw and Mistpaw." Shiningstar's meow was gleeful, a sparkle in her eyes as she let her voice ring out once again.

Mistpaw turned to Nightcloud, uncertain if she should extend herself to have them touch noses or he. Fortunately, Nightcloud had seemingly a knack for guessing her concerns. He bent only halfway, waiting for Mistpaw to do the same so they wouldn't cause a bumbling disaster.

It was quiet at first, and then the cheers exploded, although still lightly unsure. "Eaglepaw, Mistpaw, Eaglepaw, Mistpaw!"

From her high spot, Mistpaw could see her friends cheering Mistpaw's and Eaglepaw's name with the most enthusiasm. In fact, Littlepaw was almost on her hind legs with spazzy joy. Eaglepaw was responding with just as much emotion and energy. Mistpaw watched her sister race down the rocks and into the crowd of dispersing cats, a blur of white, gold, and black.

Mistpaw almost took after her sibling when Nightcloud cleared his throat to speak. "GO get some rest," he suggested, "Tomorrow is a big day; we have the basics to start covering."

"Yes Nightcloud." Mistpaw dipped her white and grey head, and then jumped off the rock to find her troupe of friends. Of course, it didn't take long.

Soon, Mistpaw found herself underneath two she-cats, Eaglepaw, and creamy seal-point she-cat.

"Hey Littlepaw," meowed Mistpaw, giggling and purring underneath her sister and the two-moon older apprentice. "We're denmates again!"

"I know. Isn't it fantastic?" Littlepaw got off of Mistpaw.

"Congratulations," a dark grey-blue she-cat meowed. She had little rivulets of darker blues striping her fur, similar to a tabby, and had night-blue eyes. "I missed you guys a lot."

"Thanks, Frozenpaw." Mistpaw blinked with gratitude at her quieter friend.

Eaglepaw stopped bouncing. "So, are you guys going to helps us with our nests and stuff?"

Another she-cat, who stood just behind Littlepaw's left side, responded for the group. "Of course, you just have to promise not to rill out of your nest and rant about how yummy squirrels are this time!"

"Okay," Eaglepaw tried not to yowl indignantly. "That was _only_ the _one_ time!"

The sorrel she-cat purred, clover green eyes glittering with amusement and mischief.

"Aw, leave her alone, Cloverpaw," Frozenpaw giggled.

Mistpaw let out her own trail of giggling purrs as the group of she-cats worked their way over to the apprentice's den. When they finally arrived, in fits of purrs and girlish giggles, a grey and black striped tom padded over to Mistpaw. He had the same silver blue yes that Littlepaw had, with silver paws and chest. His fluffy fur and black stripes made him look like a grey, four-legged bumble bee. Except with cat ears, and a tail.

"Hey, Bumblepaw," Mistpaw chirped, recovering from her laughter.

"Nice to see you as an apprentice, Mistpaw," Bumblepaw replied. "Congratulations on not dieing of loneliness and boredom on the wait to it."

Mistpaw stuck her tongue out at him, he responding accordingly by doing the same. Both had playful smiles on their faces.

"Okay, love birds," Littlepaw purred, "We _do _need sleep. Get going so we can."

"I don't like him!"

"I don't like her!"

They spoke in indignant unison, which caused an explosion of purrs and giggles once more.

Mistpaw grimaced, scowling hard. She didn't like him that way at all! Not at all; she was too young and had to focus on becoming a warrior before mates. Plus, she was too young.

"Speaking of love birds," Eaglepaw looked at Littlepaw. "How goes your relationship with Spiderpaw?"

Littlepaw was quiet. Her expression morphed just as soon as the black and white streaked tom was mentioned. Her ears flattened and her teeth were bared, fur fluffing to an added extent. "Don't talk about _him_!" And off she stormed, black tail vanishing into the dark of the thick bushes that formed an entrance to the apprentice's den. Eaglepaw was speechless.

Mistpaw was shocked, too. She looked over to Cloverpaw and Frozenpaw; mind tangled with questions that needed answers. "What happened? I thought…?"

"So did Littlepaw," Frozenpaw said sadly. "Apparently he has lost interest in her and is looking at some other she-cat. She won't talk about it to us."

"Except to Pebblepaw," Cloverpaw meowed. Pebblepaw was Cloverpaw's brother. She and the brown tom were adopted by the clan's medicine cat, Cloudfeather, along with Brightspirit, who had recently earned her medicine cat name. "And Pebblepaw won't tell either!" Cloverpaw almost was pouting. The two cats told each other almost every thing.

"Oh." Mistpaw frowned. What made Spiderpaw not care for Littlepaw? He was almost head-over-tail for the seal-point she-cat, or least, he had been.

"Let's go get some rest for tomorrow," Bumblepaw suggested, and went into the den following his sister. Murmuring in agreement, the others followed, the cheery mood was probably killed for the night. Mistpaw was about to when she heard a slight rustle behind her. She turned around quickly, searching for the source of the noise. _I thought every cat had gone to their nests…_ Mistpaw thought.

Then, on the border line of the shadows and the moonlight of the clearing, Mistpaw saw the silhouette of a cat. After blinking a couple times, Mistpaw recognized her. She could tell the grey and russet fur easily, like that of a ragged rose. However, the yellow, almost scarlet eyes frightened her.

Mistpaw struggled to remember her name; she recalled that the she-cat had visited the nursery and talked to Shiningstar a couple of times, once getting into a mild, but heated, conversation. "Er, you're Wildrose, right?" Mistpaw tried hard not stutter. The silence was daunting, as were the she-cat's glaring red eyes.

Slowly, Wildrose smiled. "Good you remember my name." She padded up to Mistpaw's side; her gait was filled with an eerie slowness. "I was afraid you wouldn't," she was very close now. "After all, StormClan is getting so big."

Mistpaw swallowed hard, her paws were frozen with instinctual terror. "Y-yes, but that means w-we're getting stronger," Mistpaw managed.

Wildrose laughed. "Pity you aren't my apprentice," the mysteriously frightening she-cat circled Mistpaw, making her feel like prey. "I would have loved training you."

Mistpaw didn't like the way Wildrose said the start of her sentence. It made her shiver and want to run away and never come back. Plus she was blocking out the reassuring light from the stars of Silverpelt. It almost seemed like she was doing it on purpose.

Suddenly, Cloverpaw poked her head out of the den entrance. "Are you coming in?" she asked, "Or are you going to stand out here all night?" Cloverpaw flashed her eyes at Wildrose and Mistpaw's face of growing fear.

"Y-yeah," Mistpaw meowed, relieved at the coming of her savior. She looked back to the grey and russet she-cat, "I have to go now, I uh," Mistpaw backed up, "I have to get some rest for t-tomorrow! Big day, you know…"

Wildrose smiled. "Of course," she meowed. "Go and sleep, you will need it."

Mistpaw didn't doubt it. She turned and practically dove into the apprentice's den, no time to take a look at her new sleeping place. No matter how hard or how much she tried, Mistpaw could not shake off the creeping sensation that was all over her, feeling like wet fur.

"You okay?" Eaglepaw asked sleepily from her nest next to Frozenpaw and Cloverpaw.

"Y-yeah," Mistpaw flopped down next to Littlepaw and Bumblepaw, two other apprentices above her new nest. One was huge and brown, named Bearpaw, the other was black, named Crowpaw. "Just a little spooked."

As Mistpaw closed her eyes, she tried not to think about Wildrose. She tried not to dream of the almost red eyes staring hauntingly at her. She shouldn't worry. After all, Wildrose was a warrior of StormClan, although she originated form another, Mistpaw's clanmate. She wouldn't hurt her.

Would she?

**So, yeah… There is chapter one, technically number two. Sorry it took me so long, school started, and, my friend wants me to animate a series, so I was busy with that. Um, I hope it was good, because, I am already half way done with the next chapter and I kept on losing this one!! Made me a little po'ed when I discovered that my sister had thrown away my journal, because it was ratty and on the ground, and pages were missing… THANK GOD FOR WRITING OUTLINES! THANK WHATEVER MIGHTY BEING (or force) YOU BELIEVE IN!!!!**

**That is my rant for today… And, who has seen 9?? PLUS, REVIEEEEEEW! Please, please, please review. People don't read stories that don't have them, so, yeah… COPY RIGHT'D!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry guys, I poof in and out and in and out all the time! Dx I am a lame-o, I know, I know… TT^TT But and am I LOVED lame-o! 83 Homework likes to fall from the sky and on top of me… And a have theories that there are magical evil pixies living in my room to steal my stuff! Lost the Chapter one again, recovered it, and lost it again, an' it is plain annoying!! Dx**

**Anyways, it is winter break; I got time on my hands…. AND I SHALL GIVE DIS TO YOU! XD Again, copyrights to the respective owners.**

Chapter Two

That morning, a paw prodded Mistpaw's side. Slowly, she opened her eyes, feeling barely rested due to a mixture of excitement and terror. Mistpaw blinked, looking at her waker. It was Pebblepaw.

The increasingly growing tom looked at her with bright-blue eyes; bark colored fur doted with a lighter shade of brown. His belly was the same color. Pebblepaw's kind face beamed down at her. "Time to wake up, sleepy-eyes," he meowed. "Nightcloud told me to wake you up. He is waiting outside."

It took a heartbeat for Mistpaw to think about what her friend had said. There then was a click in her head. "Oh." Mistpaw suddenly leaped up, "OH! Oh, oh, oh, oh, OH!!! Mousedung, how long was he—what time is it?!"

"A sun position past dawn, no w-"

"FOXDUNG!" Mistpaw scrambled out of her nest, nearly spraying Pebblepaw with moss. "Sorry," she threw over her shoulder.

Mistpaw burst out the apprentice's den and scuttled across camp, ducking under the bigger warriors and circumventing cats she couldn't. "Late for your first day?" Grassblade meowed with surprise as Mistpaw scurried under her legs.

"Yeah, sorry, bye," Mistpaw's response was vaguely decipherable.

Finally Mistpaw found Nightcloud talking to Sparrowwing. The black tom noticed her arrival after she nearly bowled into the High Rock and fresh kill pile, as well. "Late?" Nightcloud purred.

"Just a… bit," Mistpaw gasped, throwing in an apologetic smile.

"Better late then never," Sparrowwing pointed out for laughs. Mistpaw gave him an exasperated look.

Nightcloud chuckled, "Truth if I've ever heard it." His smile grew and his whiskers twitched in amusement. "We have better get a good start, now, hm?" He added, "To make up for lost time." Mistpaw regained her breath and nodded eagerly," Of course."

"Come now," the midnight tom meowed, padding toward the bush and sapling tunnel. "We've got places to go." Mistpaw nodded to her adopted father and followed her mentor into the woods.

"Oh, wow," Mistpaw squeaked.

They were at OceanClan border, according to Nightcloud. "They live _there_? Surrounded by water?!" Mistpaw asked incredulously.

"Mmhm." Her mentor nodded.

Mistpaw looked at the OceanClan territory. A sandy cliff, standing on large, sand-stone rocks, was their border. A huge river, shifting from the sea to the small myriad of fresh-water streams that gave water to the clans, separated a peninsula from the normal land that the other clans lived on. It was surrounded by clutches of other islands; speckling the water here and there. The ocean, a vast body of water that was a playful blue-green, was every where in-between. The saltwater lapped stormily below against the rocks of the islands, washing up on the shores of yellow sand then retreating in a never-ending game. Each island stuck up into the sky, like claws ripping out of the earth.

The lush vegetation was overflowing the edges of the little floating rocks, strange trees lining the edges. The scent, however, reeked of saltwater and fish. It ruined the beautiful scene that stood before her.

Nightcloud read Mistpaw's mind like the movements of prey, if not the wrinkled expression crunched on her face. "It smells bad, though, doesn't it?"

Mistpaw nodded, "Really gross!"

Nightcloud purred with amusement. "You'll have more then your fair share of that smell in seasons to come, little one." He turned to jump off the rock, "Remember it well."

_How could I forget?_ Mistpaw snorted to herself trying to hold her breath.

"Come," her mentor meowed, "We have another place to see."

Mistpaw nodded and followed, finally taking a breath.

As Mistpaw followed Nightcloud through the sun-filtered forest, she couldn't help but feel the sense of familiarity. The trees, the way the bushes were growing… She recognized it. They passed some saplings, growing new leaves in the fair warmth of new-leaf. Finally, when they passed a giant cypress tree, she could not stand it any longer.

"Nightcloud," she mewed, stopping before a large, hollow tree, called the Great Cypress. "I think I have been here; before this."

Nightcloud paused, following her gaze. Mistpaw noticed the small, nostalgic smile that crossed his face. "That would be because," the dark tom meowed, padding to her side slowly, "this is where we found you and your sister." His green eyes were bright with what was, to Mistpaw, a cloudy memory of several, harsh moons passing.

Mistpaw raised her brow, eyes widening with surprise. She looked to the hollow tree; mind filling with the memory of faint figures. A red tom… A grey one too…. They were very big…. Very familiar and … They had been running, and then waking up. They were so vague and powerful, the emotions that came whirling into her head: fear, hopelessness, betrayal, anger and hatred. Then, two cats, whom she knew to be her beloved adopted parents, filling her with a new feeling: hope.

"I…" Mistpaw was speechless. "I remember." Nightcloud's pelt brushed against hers in the warmth that would be kinship. And, for a while, he let her sit there and cry.

After her episode, Mistpaw felt embarrassed and mousebrained; she shouldn't be so upset and it was very immature to cry for so long. Her white and grey-blue ears were down a little bit in a sad position. Her paws felt heavy and her first day felt ruined to her, until they arrived at SpiritClan border.

The cypress grove was eerie, although much better in the light then it would be in the shadows cast by moonlight. The long marsh grass wove around trees and in and out of the mud. Roots of large swamp vegetation curled around forming strange-looking natural statues, forming into shapes. The soft hum of the marsh-land life was beginning to drawl as leaf-bare lost its footholds in the damp territory. The bushes that survived were just beginning to bud with leaves and dead leaves from leaf-fall were scattered about above the roots. Tunnels could be scene here and there amongst the leaves; probably the prey. Some bugs passed in the air, although they were just as new to the territory as Mistpaw probably was.

Nightcloud stopped at the edge of a few jutting boulders that seemed to line up together. "This is SpiritClan territory, if you haven't guessed," he meowed. "These rocks are the territory's boundaries; remember that."

Mistpaw nodded and breathed in the scent. It was dark and musky and reminded her of mud and rotting leaves. "The scent is… Dull." She concluded and looked around, ears now perked and her mind clear of the strange even that occurred earlier that day. The scent also gave a slow burning feeling in her chest, like invigoration.

"Yes," Nightcloud meowed, "But memorable none the less." The midnight-pelted tom's green eyes were slightly darker then usual. He shook his head and smiled. "Later I will show you the other two, but first," Mistpaw's mentor looked over to her. "We have to teach you some hunting skills.


End file.
